Molded product having hollow interior region

ABSTRACT

A molded a product includes a body including a hollow interior region and a plurality of openings in communication between an interior region and an exterior of the body. The body is formed from a resilient material that enables the product to stretch and retract to an original shape without tearing or breaking when removing a first part of a core of a mold from a first portion of the interior region through a first opening of the plurality of openings and a second part of the core of the mold from a second portion of the interior region through at least one of the first opening and a second opening of the plurality of openings, the first and second parts of the core of the mold being larger than each of the plurality of openings.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/058,618, filed Mar. 2, 2016, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/127,575, filed Mar. 3, 2015, the contentsof each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Field of Invention

Many articles are manufactured through molding processes. Severaldifferent molding processes are available when it is intended tomanufacture a product with a hollow interior, and such moldingoperations would include blow molding, the use of a core within a mold,and other known methodologies.

Background of the Invention

When using a mold with an internal core, the core must be removed fromwithin an interior region of the resultant molded product, and it istherefore known to employ cores that are frangible or are otherwisedestroyed in order to remove the core from the interior region of thefinished product. Destructible cores are typically employed when thefinished product is relatively rigid and would prevent the removal ofthe core in an intact condition. However, if the finished product isrelatively flexible, such as when the product is formed of a rubber-likepolymeric compound, the finished product sometimes can be stretched orotherwise deformed to permit removal of the intact core. It isfurthermore known, however, that the hot tear resistance and otherelastic properties of polymeric materials are limited, and it istherefore understood that a product that is in a finished orsemi-finished state can be deformed to at most only a limited extentbefore it tears or is otherwise destroyed. Improvements would there rebe desirable in molding methodologies.

SUMMARY

It has been determined that molding a product with a hollow interior asdescribed herein provides an improved process. In one disclosedembodiment, a molded a product includes a body including a hollowinterior region and a plurality of openings in communication between aninterior region and an exterior of the body. The body is formed from aresilient material that enables the product to stretch and retract to anoriginal shape without tearing or breaking when removing a first part ofa core of a mold from a first portion of the interior region through afirst opening of the plurality of openings and a second part of the coreof the mold from a second portion of the interior region through atleast one of the first opening and a second opening of the plurality ofopenings, the first and second parts of the core of the mold beinglarger than each of the plurality of openings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of the product and the coreportions;

FIG. 2 illustrates the core portions positioned adjacent each other; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the mold during the molding process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 depicts the process in which a product 4 having a hollow interiorregion 8 and having a plurality of openings 12 formed therein can bemolded through the use of a two-part core 24. The openings 12 are incommunication between the hollow interior region 8 and the exterior ofthe product 4.

More specifically, the product 4 is formed in a mold 16 such as isdepicted generally in FIG. 3. The mold 16 has a hollow cavity 20 withinwhich the core 24 is receivable. The core 24 can be supported in thecavity in any of a variety of fashions. The mold 16 itself includes afirst mold portion 28 and a second mold portion 32 having the cavity 20situated generally therebetween. The first and second mold portions 28and 32 are separable to permit the core 24 to be received in the cavity20 and to permit the product 4 and the core situated within its interiorregion 8 to be removed from the cavity 20.

As can be understood from FIGS. 1-3, the core 24 can include a firstcore portion 36 to which is connected a first lug 40 and to furtherinclude a second core portion 44 to which is connected a second lug 48.The first core portion 36 has a first engagement surface 52 which is, inthe depicted exemplary embodiment, of a substantially planarconfiguration. Likewise, the second core portion 44 in the depictedexemplary embodiment has a second engagement surface 56 that is of asubstantially planar configuration.

The first and second engagement surfaces 52 and 56 are engaged together,such as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the first and second coreportions 36 and 44 are received in the cavity 20. The first and secondcore portions 36 and 44 together form the hollow interior region 8within the product 4 after the product 4 is formed. More particularly,the first core portion 36 can form a first portion 8A of the interiorregion 8, and the second core portion 44 can similarly form a secondportion 8B of the interior region 8 that is contiguous first portion 8A.

When the first and second mold portions 28 and 32 are brought togetherwith the core 24 supported within the cavity 20, a space 60 existsbetween the mold 16 and the core 24. An uncured polymeric material 68can be introduced through a runner 64 into the space 60 to the space 60to be filled with the uncured polymeric material 68. The uncuredpolymeric material 68 can then be caused to cure, in wopening or inpart, through any of a variety of processes such as heating, chemicaltransformation, and the like without limitation. When the polymericmaterial 68 has become sufficiently cured to be in a solid state ofmatter, the first and second mold portions 28 and 32 can be separated,and the product 4 with the core 24 situated in the interior region 8thereof can be removed from the cavity 20. The core 24 can then beremoved from the interior region 8.

More specifically, the first core portion 36 may be removed through afirst opening 12A, and the second core portion 44 may be removed througha second opening 12B. In so doing, it may be necessary to attach thefirst and second lugs 40 and 48 to the first and second core portions 36and 44, such as by receiving the first and second lugs 40 and 48 throughthe first and second openings 12A and 12B, respectively, and connectingthem with mating structures such as receptacles and the like on thefirst and second core portions 36 and 44. Alternatively, the first andsecond lugs 40 and 48 may be affixed to the first and second coreportions 36 and 44 when the core 24 is supported in the cavity 20, inwhich case the first and second lugs 40 and 48 would be situated in thefirst and second openings 12A and 12B when the first and second moldportions 28 and separated. The first and second lugs 40 and 48 may bereplaced with removable cables and clips that are flexibly and removablyconnectable with the first and second core portions 36 and 44.

In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the first and second core portions36 and 44 are removed in opposite directions away from the product 4,although this need not be the case. By way of example, the second coreportion 44 could alternatively be removed through a third opening 12C inapproximately the same direction away from the product 4 as the firstcore portion 36 when it is removed through the first opening 12A.Furthermore, the first and second core portions 36 and 44 could beremoved through the same opening 12 formed in the product 4 albeit atseparate times. For instance, one of the first and second core portions36 and 44 would typically need to be fully removed from the interiorregion 8 through the opening 12 and be situated fully at the exterior ofthe product 4 before the other of the first and second core portions 36and 44 could be removed through the same opening 12.

By configuring the core 24 to have a plurality of parts, the overallcore 24 can be relatively large in comparison with the sizes of theindividual openings 12 while still being removable through one or moreof the openings 12 without tearing or otherwise destroying the product4. That is, a portion of each the first and second core portions 36 and44 can be larger than the opening (or opening) through which the coreportion is removed. Accordingly, the portion of the product 4surrounding the opening (or opening) is able to stretch and allow thecore portion to pass through the opening, by increasing the size of theopening or opening. Preferably, the product is formed from a resilientmaterial that enables the product to stretch in this manner and retractto the original or desired shape without tearing or breaking. Dependingupon the manufacturing process, it may be necessary to secure orotherwise hold the product 4 in place while the first and/or second coreportions 36 and 44 are removed through one or more of the openings 12.

While the first and second core portions 36 and 44 are depicted hereinas being substantially identical to one another, it can be understoodthat this need not be the case. Moreover, the core 24 can be formed ofmore than two parts without departing from the present concept, and thesizes of the various parts that form the core 24 can be chosen basedupon the elastic properties of the product 4. It thus can further beunderstood that the product 4 need not necessarily be of a flexiblepolymeric material and rather may be relatively rigid. That is,depending upon the properties of the material from which the product 4is formed, the core 24 can be formed of enough pieces of various sizesand shapes that they together form the interior region 8 in the product4 but can be removed from within the interior region 8 without requiringmeaningful deformation of the product 4 in order to effect such removal.

It therefore can be understood that the improved method of forming theproduct enables the core 24 to be formed of multiple parts and to beremoved one piece at a time through one or more of the openings 12 in afashion that enables the elastic limits or other properties of theproduct 4 to withstand the removal process without rupture or otherfailure. Other advantages will be apparent.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location ororientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/ordesired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting eachother can have intermediate structures disposed between them. Thefunctions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. Thestructures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in anotherembodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in aparticular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is uniquefrom the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, alsoshould be considered a separate description of further inventions by theapplicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodiedby such features. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodimentsaccording to the present invention are provided for illustration only,and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by theappended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A molded a product, comprising: a body includinga hollow interior region and a plurality of openings in communicationbetween an interior region and an exterior of the body, the body beingformed from a resilient material that enables the product to stretch andretract to an original shape without tearing or breaking when removing afirst part of the body from a corresponding first part of a core of amold from a first portion of the interior region through a first openingof the plurality of openings and a second part of the body from acorresponding second part of the core of the mold from a second portionof the interior region through at least one of the first opening and asecond opening of the plurality of openings, the first and secondcorresponding parts of the core of the mold being larger than each ofthe plurality of openings, the first and second corresponding parts ofthe core being detachably connectable, the first part of the body havinga shape defined by a shape of the corresponding first part of the core,the second part of the body having a shape defined by a shape of thecorresponding second part of the core.
 2. The product according to claim1, wherein the body is formed from cured polymeric material.
 3. Theproduct according to claim 1, wherein the body is shaped as a bone. 4.The product according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings inthe body are formed by a plurality of interconnecting members.
 5. Theproduct according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting memberssurrounding the first and second openings are configured to stretch toenable the first and second parts to pass therethrough.
 6. The productaccording to claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of openingshave a hexagonal shape.
 7. The product according to claim 1, wherein atleast some of the plurality of openings have a rectangular shape.
 8. Theproduct according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the interiorregion and the second portion of the interior region are contiguous. 9.The product according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of theinterior region and the second portion of the interior region aresubstantially identical.